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Old Tue Jun 21, 2011, 12:58am
TussAgee11 TussAgee11 is offline
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If a batter takes a position outside the batter's box as his preliminary starting point, pro school teaches the umpire to instruct him to get into the box.

I see that as a form of preventative officiating at the highest level.

As somebody mentioned, the reason you don't see much of it in MLB is because they are pros to begin with. They don't need reminding. But they do appreciate it when something comes up. I'll give you a classic example from the highest level of baseball I ever worked.

Double play ball, out at 2nd. Ball gets thrown into the dugout. Batter runner is lying on ground with a torn ACL at the 45 foot line. I call time and award 2nd.

As the manager, trainer, and first base coach hover over him, I casually walk over and very quietly say to the manager, "Joe, we're fine if you want to use a substitute here, but make sure he touches first before he goes to 2nd".

Sure enough, runner comes running out right to 2nd base. Manager starts screaming, whoa whoa whoa! Go touch first!

Next night, other manager comes out to coach 3rd, and he asks me about it and is trying to fish for just what I told the other manager. I told him right there "Chris, what I told him, I'd tell you in the same exact situation." And he was just fine with that. Surprising, cause he was a bit of a hot head.